


Loyalty

by kuhleesi



Series: Gubat Banwa One-Shots [1]
Category: Gubat Banwa
Genre: Death, Other, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28443759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuhleesi/pseuds/kuhleesi
Summary: How did Reyna, headstrong and ruthless, come to be a Tawong Bihag?
Relationships: n/a
Series: Gubat Banwa One-Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2083485
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Loyalty

**Author's Note:**

> Reyna's origin story, but make it 1.2k words.

_So, this is how loyalty dies._

With the screams of helpless children and women begging for mercy.

With the scent of burning flesh and wood.

With the deafening, terrifying war cries of the Mangangayaw calling for the blood of innocents.

With Reyna, daughter of Datu Kalasag, pulling a rope taught against the neck of her would-be assassin.

“Kailanman ay hindi pa nabuwag ang depensa naming mga bayani ni Datu Kalasag. Paano’t nangyari na nasalakay kami ng walang kamalay-malay? Sino ang nagtaksil sa ama ko at sa Lakan?!” Reyna snarled, pulling the rope against the man’s throat.

She could feel him struggling, clawing at the rope, but Reyna refused to give in. She could vaguely hear her mother’s pleas.

“Anak ko, tumakas ka na. Ang mga kuya mo—”

“Magsalita ka at baka magbago pa ang isip ko, traydor! Sinong datu ang pinagsisilbihan mong animal ka?!” If Reyna’s words came out as desperate, she made up for it by taking the knife she kept strapped to her waist and placing the tip right beneath where his ribs would be.

“Si Datu Domagas!”

Reyna felt her blood run cold, and with great self-control, she held herself back from driving her knife into the lowlife’s chest.

“Tang ina ng baog na walang kwentang datu talagang yun.” Reyna said, contempt dripping from every word, “Dahil ba hinindian kong pakasalan ang anak niya?!”

“O-oo. Nakipagtulungan siya kay Datu Buhi upang salakayin kayo. G-gusto ni Datu Domagas na dalhin namin ang ulo mo sa kanya.” The man beneath her choked.

“At pagkatapos?”

“Reyna, nandito na sila!” Her father burst through the door, taking her mother’s shoulder as they shared one last desperate kiss.

“Reyna, tumakas na kayo. Dalhin mo ang iyong ina kay Datu Domagas at manghingi kayo ng tulong--”

“Si Datu Domagas ang may kapakanan nito.” Reyna placed her knee at the back of her captive while pulling the rope upwards. Any moment now and he would die.

“Kung gayon ay tumakas na kayo upang mapaghiganti kaming mga namatay at mamamatay.” Datu Kalasag said to his last living child.

The frustration, the hurt and the fear had finally boiled over. Reyna yanked at the rope, and she heard and felt the man beneath her struggle for the last time and finally die.

For good measure, she drove the knife she was holding in his chest.

And it was at that moment that the door burst open. Several things happened at once. First, her mother fell to the ground as an arrow shot through her chest. Her hand weakly reached out for Reyna, and her last whispered words were, "Lumaban ka... Mabuhay ka at lumaban, mahal ko." before her hand fell to the ground. Second, her father ran to her and pushed her out the window, thrusting his weapon at her.

“Takbo, Reyna. Tumakbo ka at maghiganti.”

And third, Reyna fell backwards, clutching her father’s weapon, out the window, tears now flowing from her eyes, rage and guilt warring for dominion inside her heart. She was a warrior, she was supposed to fight to the glorious end of death and do it in the name of the Lakan, Makakagahum, and her family. Yet, here she was, running for her life.

It didn’t take long for Datu Buhi to catch up with her, but it did take a while for him and his warriors to capture her. Weilding her father’s sword in one hand and her knife in the other, Reyna, the Mentala Kawal, slashed and stabbed in a dance that was both lethal and graceful. Even in her desperation to live, her movements were fluid and elusive.

She flowed beneath arms, circled around bodies, her blades clashing with spears and swords. But, eventually, she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of the enemies around her. She felt someone grab her hair from the back and slam her to the ground, forcing her on all fours, feet slammed down on her wrists, forcing her to let go of her weapons. She screamed and cursed like a wild animal. She saw one of the warriors raise his sword at her.

Swallowing her pride and the bile rising from her stomach, she screamed, so loud it scratched her throat, “Hayaan niyo kong mabuhay nang mapagsilbihan ko kayo, Datu!”

“Huwag niyo siyang patayin!” Came the booming voice of Datu Buhi.

“Ipakita niyo siya sa akin.”

Reyna felt arms pulling her up roughly, by her hair and shoulders. She could taste blood in her mouth and she knew it was hers.

“Isa ka sa mga Mentala Kawal ni Datu Kalasag?” Asked Datu Buhi, looking at Reyna up and down, the way one would look at a cow to see if it was good enough to be bought and slaughtered for food. No longer was she being looked at with respect and admiration, now she was simply being appraised. And here she was, selling herself.

The daughter of a datu.

“Ang pinakamagaling na Mentala Kawal ni Datu Kalasag.” She said.

Datu Buhi squatted down in front of Reyna, taking her chin in his hands to get a better look at her, finally seeing her.

“Dugong bughaw ka, ano? Anak ng Datu?”

“Ako lamang ay isang alipin mo, Datu Buhi.”

“Ang alipin, hindi tumitingin sa mata ng nakatataas sa kanya.”

Reyna kept her eyes locked with his.

“Hinahanap ni Datu Domagas ang ulo ng nagpahiya sa kanya. Ikaw ba iyon?” Said the Datu.

Reyna did not answer, and a smile crept up Datu Buhi’s face. “Tang ina, ikaw nga. Tignan niyo nga naman ito. Ang anak ni Datu Kalasag, nagmamakaawa na mabuhay at magsilbi sakin. Sa tingin mo ba bobo ako para hayaan ka pang mabuhay? Ano ang huling salita mo?!” Datu Buhi pushed Reyna’s face away with disgust.

“Walang bayag si Datu Domagas. Nauunawaan ko na ang malakas ay kinakain ang mahina. Malakas ka, kaya handa akong pagsilbihan kita bilang alipin. Hayaan mong gamitin ko ang kakayahan ko upang palakasin ka lalo.”

“Wala ka man lang kahit anong katapatan sa pamilya mo? Sa ama mo?”

“Patay na sila. Bakit ako magiging matapat sa mga bangkay?”

Reyna was disgusted that the words even came out of her mouth.

Datu Buhi placed the tip of his sword beneath her chin, considering her words.

The night was quiet.

If anyone from her village still lived, they were no longer speaking.

The life Reyna knew was gone now.

“Gawin siyang bihag. Patunayan mo sakin na hindi pagkakamali na hayaan kitang mabuhay.”

“Datu, hindi ba kailangan ni Datu Domagas ang ulo niya?”

“Walang bayag si Domagas.” There was a mocking grin on Datu Buhi’s face as he echoed Reyna’s words, “Kung gusto niya ng proteksyon ko, hindi siya aangal.”

Reyna was pulled up to her feet, and Datu Buhi looked her up and down one last time, “Ano ang kapalit ng pagbigay ko ng buhay mo, alipin?”

“Reyna.” She whispered.

“Ano?!”

“Ang pangalan ko. Reyna. Hayaan mong iyon pa rin ang maging pangalan ko at ang magiging kapalit ay ang aking lakas at walang hanggang katapatan.”

Datu Buhi laughed, shaking his head with amusement, “Gawin siyang bihag. Patunayan mo sa akin na hindi ako nagkamali ngayong gabi.” He took his sword from her chin. “Patunayan mo sa akin kung hanggang saan aabot ang katapatan mo, Reyna.”

And he walked away, towards the remains of her once beautiful village, while his warriors tied Reyna’s hands behind her back and led her to her new fate.


End file.
